caramel

Every year I give homemade treats as Christmas gifts for my family. Always something edible, creative, and impressive. After scouring Pinterest for weeks, I decided that I really liked the look of thumbprint cookies. They’re the small, round cookies that you press your thumb into and fill with jam, chocolate, caramel, or the like. The contrast of the dough and filling gives the cookies aesthetic appeal and a great combination of flavors.

Some problems I had with the thumbprint cookies include spreading, uneven jelly, and a whole lot of cracking. My solutions:

Whip the jelly until it is smooth before adding to the cookie dough.

Press thumbprint in cookie before and after baking (when using a filling that is added after baking).

My favorite shortbread recipe is from the Lemon Thumbprint Cookies by Glorious Treats. It was soft and moist and did not crack when rolled, flattened, and ‘thumb-printed’. Read what I though of each recipe: